The YMCA is a great place for children to start building connections, develop social skills, confidence, leadership, and fitness through youth and family programming.
This year, we want to profile local community leaders who attribute their success to solid beginnings with the YMCA. Our second community leader is Justin Hickey, School Age Childhood Director at the Family YMCA of the Desert.
1). Why was the Y so important to you during your youth &/or currently?
When I was a child, I had a lot of energy and needed to be outside being active and interacting with other kids. So my mom signed me up for after school programs in the YMCA. I attended Lincoln Elementary and we would be transported over to the San Pablo location. It allowed me to do any classwork I had and then the park and playground were open for outside time later in the day. I would always ask my mom to pick me up late so that I could play football and basketball with the staff and other kids. That led to my mom signing me up for my first basketball league when I was seven years old. I played YMCA basketball all the way from seven years old until 14 years old. I made friendships in those leagues that I still have today and it taught me many values that I carried with me all the way through playing basketball until my senior year of high school. The Camp Oakes program was also another vital program that helped me learn about responsibility. I attended three times and each time had more fun. We played games, learned teamwork and was able to canoe and shoot bow and arrows. I attribute my love for camping to the Camp Oakes program, due to the fact you can disconnect from a lot and just be outdoors and having fun.
2.)What lessons did you learn from being involved with the Y that you apply to your life now?
25 years after I started attending the YMCA, I am now the School Age Director for those same programs (funny fact Dallas Williams looks the same as those 25 years have passed). I relate a lot to the kids in all of our programs. I understand the importance of study habits and nutritional values that we’re taught. I also know how vital it is for kids to be outside getting 60 minutes of play per day, it has a positive effect on the brain, children are happier and they can interact with each other. The YMCA taught me throughout school how to become a leader, through playing sports and also attending Camp Oakes, there is different programs that allow you to be in leadership opportunities in groups. I have used those tools to help me in my job here at the YMCA, as I want to help out all the families we can in the Coachella Valley. The YMCA is also where I learned about sports and playing as a team. Before signing up for basketball, I would just play on the playgrounds at school and the first time I stepped on a court in the YMCA gym, it was surreal, I grew up to love it. Those values have led to me being a big basketball fan and also covering the NBA for fun.
3). A brief Bio of yourself…what makes you so great!
My name is Justin Hickey and I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Kinesiology. I work as the School Age Director for the Family YMCA of the Desert and love my job. I wake up every day, ready to make a positive impact on as many families possible. I enjoy traveling, camping, trying out new restaurants, attending concerts and sporting events and writing. Outside of the YMCA I cover the NBA, I am a huge Oklahoma City Thunder and UCLA Bruins fan, it is very rare you will see me without something UCLA on (my grandpa is responsible for it)! I have a small pug named Sadie Bug, that always has a ton of energy and keeps me on my toes. I am also very big on family and attribute a lot of my career success to my mother, who has raised me on values. I was always taught to be respectful and to work for everything you have and not rely on others, that’s helped my leadership in life. Going through college working in the restaurant business, I learned many job skills that I use today. I worked in almost every position in a restaurant and that allowed me to learn people skills, telephone etiquette, staff dynamics, hard work, multitasking, among many others. I am indebted to the industry and during these times of the pandemic I have done my best to try and support the ma and pa places as best as possible, to help them keep our great valley going strong through adversity. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the great staff here at the YMCA, as we push through these times, you’ve all done a wonderful job adapting to the challenges and continue to make a positive impact on kids.